When the hammer falls
by Blood50000
Summary: For two years the people living in the farm fortress have survived. They built a wall. They learnt how to fight. And now they will be pulled into business that they want no dealings with. War. War against other Kids. -please leave feedback!
1. Chapter 1

_Just for you_ _information:_

 _-I am not sure how often I will be updating this!_

 _-The story starts 2 years into the disease, so some kids will be around 18/17. I did this because it is closer to my own age therefore I find it easier to write._

 _-The story is set in the English countryside_

Chapter one

 _Ahead on schedule_

"I SAID PULL, YOU USELESS PRICKS!" Jack bellowed.

The four straining lads contorted their faces in determination as they pulled upon their ropes. The ropes were attached to a large wooden panel, roughly made of wooden planks. With a final last pull and a few grunts the wooden panel was pulled upright and slotted into the ground. Jack took several steps back.

"Well done lads" he nodded in approval.

Standing around eight foot tool the panel had just completed the last of the wall Jack had been tasked to build. The four boys who had been working on it slumped down in exhaustion. Two other kids, one male and one female, quickly ran over to the wall with long wooden poles that they slotted into pre-dug holes and propped against the wall, giving it support and finalising the walls strength. The wall enclosed a large area and surrounded a large wooden barn in which the kids lumber and most of their tools were stored. The barn had previously belonged to a fencing company and had provided most of the wood for the wall that now fully enclosed the bunch of buildings the kids had claimed as home. The other buildings included a farmhouse, in which most of the kids slept and lived, another building that acted as a garage for the kids few cars. Above the garage, in what would have been the hayloft of the old farm building was "the Office". This was where the kids' council met daily and worked out of the problems of the days. The last building was low and squat looking. Years ago it had been used as a place to milk the cows and now acted as the kids' armoury and gym. The wall had taken almost a year to build and had originally only surrounded the farmhouse and office. The wall Jack and his labourers had just finished was an extension of this original wall and had almost doubled the land they had. The new wall not only protected the outer buildings but also added a large area of valuable farming land the kids could now work on in safety.

"Alright that's enough rest!" Jack said. "You guys go get some food and wash yourself, afterwards report back to me outside the office"

The workers groaned as ore muscle complained ad they stood up. Each and every one of them had worked hard, excited to complete the wall. Jacks own muscles were sore as well. He was not one to just boss people about and worked just as hard as the rest of them. With a chorus of "inabit boss" and "thank you" the kids left. Jack let out a sigh then turned and walked a short walk to the steep steps that led to the office. He climbed the stairs steadily his sore muscles groaning. Reaching the open door he knocked twice on the doorframe, even though the kids gathered around the table looked up as his bulk blocked the midday's weak sunlight coming through the door.

"Hello Jack" said one girl, surprised at his entrance. Pretty with brown hair to match brown skin she was mid-point in argument with a dark haired boy with a serious look on his face.

"Can we help you?" she asked.

"We just finished the wall extension. The area is now safe to work in" Jack grunted. "I sent my team up to the kitchen to grab some food, and then told them to meet me back here. Is the anything else you want us to do today?"

The girl seemed surprised, as did the dark haired boy and the other council members.

"You finished it already? That's great!" said dark haired boy, whose name was Aiden. Whilst being a rather small kid of fifteen, the youngest on the council, he was very quick minded and intelligent. Sometimes too intelligent. Jack thought to himself. Although he didn't say anything. The two were not close but Jack found him pleasant enough.

The girl however after her initial surprise at being interrupted and being told the news of the wall frowned.

"Yes that is good news" she said. "Although you said you would have it finished by Friday and today is only Wednesday, you're ahead of schedule." She seemed annoyed by it. Jack smiled to himself. Whilst Sophia could be irritating at times, Jack new she couldn't help it. She was a very fussy girl who liked to have things go as planned. Something that didn't often happen in this chaotic world. She was however very good at organising things, a skill the kids found highly useful.

"I know, I'm sorry" Jack replied. "At least the farmers can get back to work on the veg gardens sooner though"

"I suppose" she said slowly. "Although now I have to forward my whole schedule" she looked at Jack then at the various sheets of paper spread over the table they were gathered around.

"I'll get my guys working on them farms tomorrow then" said the third member of the council, a heavy set kid wearing wellies and a wax jacket. This was Kyle, the head farmer. His family had owned a farm not too far away from here before the disease had spread and he had spent much of his life working and learning the trade. He leant back in his chair with a creek and folded his arms. He was not a man of many words.

"Ok then," Sophia took a deep breath and looked around at the council members. "I don't think we need you any more Jack, although thanks for coming." Kyle nodded his head in agreement as did Aiden. The final member of the council also agreed with Sophia's statement. She was a tall long faced girl who wore horse riding leggings and carried a machete at her side. Her name was Hayden and she was sitting in place for Chris who was head of security of the settlement. She acted as Chris's lieutenant and was also in charge of the five horses the kids had managed to secure over the two years they had been living here. She usually acted as scouts with her other riders but had opted to stay in today so Chris could lead a scavenging party.

Nodding his acknowledgement Jack briefly said goodbye before walking back down the steep steps. His workers had not yet returned to the waiting place so he sought them out and told them to have the afternoon off. Going inside the farm house he went into the room he shared with four others and slumped on his single mattress the lay on the floor. The room was bare bar five single mattresses efficiently across the room. Whilst it offered little privacy, most of the kids found it easier to sleep this way as they felt safer. After a while he took of his coat and unlaced and pulled of his boots. Then he reached into his belt and pulled a heavy short handled sledgehammer. The hammer was around a foot and a half long and had a square double sided head. Originally Jack had just carried this to help build although over the years it had also became his weapon of choice, able to crush skulls and break bones with ease. Whilst not a violent person, Jack was well respected and feared for when he did fight it was with brutal efficiency and unwavering determination. The fighters were still constantly trying to recruit him, although he preferred the simple and in his opinion, honest life of being in charge of maintenance and construction.

 _so hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! The next one is in the works and contains more action don't worry!_

 _Please leave constructive feedback! It will help a great deal!_

 _Thanks_

 _-Blood50000_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 _Blood on the wall_

Chris and his team were in trouble. It had all been going so well. They had left as usual in the battered land rover, going always a little further than they had go as they searched for other settlements and scavenging opportunities. The trip had mostly been boring. But now he was running for his life. He had once heard that soldiers used to call war 90% boredom, 10% terror. Chris's whole life seemed to be like that now. He looked back on the events leading to him now running. They had just rounded a corner in to a small village when Ross, the driver of the car had to break hard.

Chris swore. "What the hell was that for?" Rubbing his head where he had hit it against the dashboard. Ross pointed at something through the windscreen. It took him a few moments to realise what he was looking at as the windscreen was rather dirty, they should probably wash it soon he though in an afterthought. The reason for Ross breaking hard was because of a mass of bodies withering and ugly were swarmed around the walls of a house. The bodies were almost piling on top of each other in eagerness to get into the house. The swarm didn't seem to notice the land rover and Chris quickly whispered for Ross to reverse. However before Ross could do so, Bella leaned forward from the back seat.

"Wait! There must be kids in there to make those sickos swarm like that!" she whispered harshly.

"Is there any way we could help?" she adjusted the quiver that hung awkwardly at her waist. She carried across her lap a recurved bow and was good shot with it. Chris remembered her once saying that she had participated in tournaments before the disease.

"Crap, you might be right" He replied. Then just to reiterate his point a window in the upstairs of the house opened and a kid leaned through waving at them frantically. His mouth opened and closed, calling for help. Chris took a deeper look at the mass of bodies before him, there were about twenty of them. All heavily diseased and weak. They were swarming mostly around the front of house leaving a side gate relatively free. Chris swore again.

"Ok we'll make a break for that side gate that should lead to the back of the house" he decided. "Stay together and look out for each other" The kids nodded and mumbled there agreements. They had all worked together many times before and knew all the rules. Chris opened his door and hopped out, before quickly untying his spear from the roof rack. The spear was about 6 foot long. Made from a thick wooden shaft and a garden shear as the tip. This mean that around one foot of the spear was a lethally sharpened blade. Around the bottom butt of the spear was a bike chain wrapped around it to give some counterbalance to the head. It also meant that the butt of the spear could be used to whack sickos with a hefty force. Ross and Bella also got out. Ross carried a hatchet and square shield that was made from planks and straps that he could thread his arm through. The last member of the group also got out. Towering above the others he carried an axe that he could use with ease. This was Bella's boyfriend, Dave. He hefted his axe upon his shoulder then closed the car door.

In unspoken agreement, the kids fanned out in a rough diamond formation with Chris in front. Behind him to the right was Bella and to the left was Ross. Dave brought up the rear. Crouching slightly the kids lightly ran towards the house, weaving from abandoned cars to low walls in attempt to stay hidden. As they neared the house there was a crash and a shattering of a window and several of the sickos near the house stumbled and disappeared. The remaining sickos lurched forward and disappeared into the house via the broken window. Falling and trampling each other in their excitement. The kids picked up their speed and ran towards the gate. A sicko turned and hissed surprised at the kid sudden arrival. This alerted four other sickos who turned and lumbered towards the group. Without a sound Bella stopped and took several steps to the right pulling an arrow from her quiver as she did so. She straightened her body set the arrow the string then raised and pulled it back steadying her breathing she paused for a fraction of a moment then loosened her grip and the arrow whizzed forward in a deadly rush of wind. The arrow struck a sickos dead in the chest causing it to stumble then collapse and lay still. She took several paces forward and readied anther arrow. Meanwhile Chis ran forward leading the others. He aimed his spear and then propelled forward in a powerful lunge, shoving the spear point into the sickos throat killing it instantly. As he stopped to remove his spear Ross and Dave ran past. Ross shield charged a sicko smashing it to the ground before raising his hatchet above his head and bring it swinging down in a sickening crunch. Dave angled himself so that his momentum would take him to the left of one of the two remaining sickos. He swung his axe in a large sideways sweep that smashed into the sickos ribcage, shattering and taking the sicko clean of its feat. He put a foot onto the sicko and tore free his axe, spraying blood up his leg. He grimaced as the warm sticky liquid seeped through his jeans and onto his leg. He turned just in time to see another of Bella's arrows strike the last sicko in the leg, making it drop down to one knee. Chris then strode over to it and struck his spear into the sicko's ribs, the long thin blade of his spear easily finding its way to the sicko's heart. The whole fight had taken less than a minute.

Ross knelt and pulled the arrow out of the sickos knee and wiped it clean, Dave did the same for the one stuck in the sickos chest. Bella bounded over and took them off them with a thanks. Arrows were hard to come by and were precious.

"Alright" she said, "lets head around the back". However before they could make two step the kid reappeared at the window. This time though his back was to them. As if he was backing away from something. Shit! Bella thought, they were too lat.

Dave ran over to the house underneath the window.

"Hey! Hey you! Jump out of the window and I'll catch you!" he shouted. The kid turned around and glanced at them, his eyes wide and scared.

"HELP! HELP! THEY GOING TO EAT ME! PLEASE HELP!" He screamed. He glanced backwards and screamed again. The sickos were getting closer to him

"Jump! It's the only way!" Dave shouted. The others shouted for the kid to jump as well. The kid's frightened mind seemed to click into place and he scrambled onto the window sill.

"Come on man, you can do it!" Ross shouted desperately. The kid hesitated then pushed himself forward closing his eyes as he did so. As he did so, pale sore covered hands grabbled at his leg catching his foot. The boy flailed his arms smashing the open window and cutting his arm. More hands appeared and grabbed the boy's leg, the pale ugly sickos being pulled to the windows ledge by the boy's momentum. The hands acted as a pivot and instead of jumping clear of the window and into the Dave's arms he swung downwards and smashed his face against the wall,. The boy went limp as the sickos dragged him back through the window,slathering the wall with blood, some not even waiting for that and sinking their teeth into his leg as the other pulled.

The kids watched in horror as the boy disappeared into the mass of bodies.

"Holy shit…" Chris said, feeling sick. Just before the kid had been through the window Chris had seen his face. Bloody and broken. Before he could gather himself, there was a crunching as some sickos hobbled across the broken glass of the shattered downstairs window. This snapped Chris into action. Turning he starting pushing the other kids back towards the land rover.

"Let's go! Now!" he urged. Bella looked pale, as if she was going to be sick. Dave put his arm around her and pulled her along, urging her quietly. Ross had a hard look on his face. Determined not to let the horrific sight get to him. The kids ran back to the car and jumped in. Ross could see the sickos slowly gaining on them as he started the engine. They had had trouble getting through the window and were still rather far away. Pushing the gearstick into reverse he turned them around and headed him. Even through it was only midday and they could still continue scavenging no one argued with him. One stray thought came into his head. The more he thought about it the more it bothered him. They had not seen any other kids for almost half a year. The kid hadn't looked like much of a fighter. So where had he came from?


End file.
